Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin

Lorna McCormick Novak was born in Amarillo, Texas, on April 27, 1927. Her father worked in advertising and Lorna enrolled in the University of Texas in 1945. Lorna belonged to a number of honorary societies during her stay at the University. She withdrew from the University in 1946 and married Gordon Shaw Novak, proprietor of Novak Construction Company. Lorna Novak has three children, and currently lives in Amarillo, Texas.

Novak's principal literary genre is the novel. Her two published works include Does It Make Into a Bed? (1963) and How Amelia Secured the Tie that Binds with a Very Loose Knot (1966). She also wrote an original play for children, "Amorinda and the Caterpillar," as well as play adaptations on popular children's stories that includes "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Sleeping Beauty," which are not represented in the collection.

The Lorna Novak papers consist of original and carbon copy typescripts, printer's copies, and galley proofs of her two published works.

The collection represents Lorna Novak's two creative endeavors as a novelist. Examples of her revision process include unpublished versions of the novels and holographic editing of the final drafts. Each of the drafts is identified by Novak on the title page. Early drafts are not dated. Drafts entitled "The Swackhammer Nose" and "The Blight From the East" are earlier versions of Does It Make Into a Bed? "There's Nothing Else to Marry" is a first draft of Novak's second novel, How Amelia Secured the Tie that Binds with a Very Loose Knot. All drafts of the two novels are arranged alphabetically by title.